


Now I'm In Exile

by Ilearnedtoreadforthis



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Based on a Taylor Swift Song, Break Up, Hopeful Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:02:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25812511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilearnedtoreadforthis/pseuds/Ilearnedtoreadforthis
Summary: As Steve walked into the party, he could hear him before he saw him. Tony. His laughter came across the room. Once a sound that lifted him up and brought joy to his heart, now a painful reminder that Tony was no longer his.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Tony Stark/Other(s)
Kudos: 49





	Now I'm In Exile

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by exile by Taylor Swift

As Steve walked into the party, he could hear him before he saw him. Tony. His laughter came across the room. Once a sound that lifted him up and brought joy to his heart, now a painful reminder that Tony was no longer his.

Steve scanned the room and found Tony in the arms of his new boyfriend, obviously engaged in a flirtatious conversation. Tony’s hand was flush against his chest while the other man held him tightly around the waist. Steve knew that Tony would be here tonight, but he had hoped that the four months that had passed since Tony had left him would minimize the heartache. 

He knew he was staring at Tony, but he couldn’t look away. He had heard that Tony was involved with someone new but to see them together was almost more than he could take. Steve saw the loving looks that passed between them and immediately felt the anger build inside him - remembering the days when Tony when looked at him with those eyes, immediately followed by the memory of Tony walking out on him.

Steve and Tony had been together for almost four years when it all seemed to crumble at his feet. He knew that their relationship had not been perfect, but he thought they were happy. They had started building a life together. They bought a house, talked about having a family and then one day Tony told him it was over - no warning, no signs. How could he have been so wrong?

As he stood there staring, Tony turned his head toward him and made eye contact. The laughter that was in his eyes just moments before had disappeared. Steve watched as Tony whispered something in his beau’s ear, touched him lovingly on the forearm and then walked away towards a side door.

He knew he shouldn’t, but his feet seemed to move on their own accord, following the direction Tony had just taken. Somewhere in the back of his head, he thought that if he just had a chance to talk to Tony, they could fix things and start again.

As he passed through the doorway, he saw Tony a few feet away, leaning on the railing that divided the building from the parking lot. God, he was beautiful. A slight breeze blew, and Steve could smell the cologne that Tony always wore. Steve closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, trying to summon the courage to approach the man he still was so desperately in love with.

“Why are you here, Steve?” Tony asked, without looking up.

“I wanted to see if you were okay, you left rather quickly,” Steve replied, hoping to sound casual even with his heart beating in his throat.

“It seems to be about four months too late to be asking if I am okay, don’t you think?”

That statement confused Steve. Tony had left him - not the other way around, so why did his tone sound so accusatory?

“I will always worry about you, Tony. You know how I feel about you.”

Tony turned abruptly on his heels to look Steve in the eye, “Do I?”

Steve furrowed his eyebrows, “How could you not?”

“The look you gave me inside definitely did not say, ‘I care about you, Tony’.”

“I’m sorry Tony. I didn’t think it would be this hard to see you and then when I saw you with  _ him _ , I ….,” Steve trailed off as he looked down at his feet. 

“Jealousy, Steve? Really? This is new for you, isn’t it?” Tony sharply retorted.

Steve jerked his head up, “What is that supposed to mean?”

“I’ve never known you to let your guard down long enough to show any emotion - what would people think?” 

Steve was always one to maintain a public persona of calm and collected. At first, it was something Tony considered a strength that Steve was able to keep all his feelings in check no matter the situation. But as time went on, that public version of himself seeped into their personal life, and it built a wall between them.

“Is that why you left? Steve questioned, “Because you didn’t know how I felt?”

Tony chuckled, “Do you really think it was so simple? That I woke up one morning and said to myself, ‘Gee, I don’t know if he loves me or not, so I’m out’.”

“Then why?” Steve looked at Tony with desperation.

“Seriously? Think back to our last year together, what do you remember?”

Steve searched his memory for something, anything that might give him a clue to what Tony was talking about. But nothing came to mind. “I don’t….”

“Exactly,” Tony stated dryly. “Nothing happened. It was like we were two strangers sharing space. We never talked about our future any more. We never did anything as a couple any longer - you always had more pressing things to attend to. I can’t remember the last time we went out on a date, hell, even just shared an evening together without being interrupted. When, Steve, when was the last time you made love to me? Can you even remember?”

Steve shook his head and mumbled, “I didn’t know. Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Oh my God, Steve. How many date nights did I plan for us that ended up cancelled? How about that vacation to Italy we were going to take but you never could take the time for? And when was the last time you came home and just asked me how my day was? I was never your priority.” 

“Are you  _ his  _ priority?” Steve said with sadness.

“I don’t see where that is your concern. I’m not your problem anymore.”

“You were never a problem to me Tony. I thought I was making myself into someone you could be proud of. I lost sight of what I was working for.”

Tony wiped the lone tear from his face. “I guess it doesn’t matter now. I thought you were my homeland, my forever...but I suppose I was wrong.”

Steve could hear the heartbreak in Tony’s voice that mirrored his own feelings. He knew that if Tony still loved him and if there was any chance, any chance at all he would be a fool not to jump at it.

“I’ve never known you to be wrong, Tony.” A glimmer of hope sprung into Steve’s eyes. “Tell me you don’t love me anymore. Tell me to walk away and never look back and I will do that for you. But if there is a chance, for us, I swear, baby, I will move heaven and earth to show you that it’s you and always has been you - my everything, my priority.”

“I can’t Steve, It's too hard.” Tony looked down and shook his head slowly.

“It doesn’t have to be,” 

“What would be different this time, Steve?”

“I heard everything you said, I swear I won’t go down that road again. It took me losing you to recognize everything that was worth working for was right in front of me and I let it slip away. Hell, it is starting to sound like I chased it away.”

Steve reached out and held Tony’s jaw and caressed his cheek with his thumb. “We can do this right. If we do this together - I just need you to be more open with whatever is bothering you. I can’t read your mind and apparently I am too stupid to see the signs, even when they are flashing in neon. But never, ever think my stupidity is a sign that I am not absolutely head over heels in love with you Tony. “

Tony gave a small smile as he looked up at Steve. “I think I’ve seen this film before and I didn’t like the ending.”

“Well,” Steve said, pulling Tony closer, “we will have to rewrite the ending so that everyone gets their happily ever after”.

  
  



End file.
